Chromatography columns have been used for the purification and separation of materials for several years. In particular, chromatography is used to separate mixtures of solutions by selective adsorption packing materials, such as a gelatin, alumina, C.sub.4, C.sub.8 or C.sub.18. The selective separation takes place based on the distribution ratios of the components of the mixtures between a mutually immiscible mobile and a fixed stage.
Separation may be carried out by passing a liquid phase mixture to be separated through a column filled with a solid phase material. The solid phase material is chosen so as to retain unwanted components of the liquid phase mixture while allowing desired product components to pass entirely through the column and then collected. The collected components of the liquid phase mixture are obtained in a highly purified state by such separation.
Because of the retention of the unwanted components by the solid phase material, it is necessary to shut down the chromatography column occasionally in order to clean or regenerate the solid phase material and to avoid saturation and inadequate retention. Therefore, it is desirable to maximize the time period between shut downs. One way to extend the time between shut downs is to increase the inside diameter of the chromatography column and thereby give the chromatography column a greater capacity for the solid phase material. Further, by increasing the inside diameter of the chromatography column, capacity can be increased. Therefore, a greater quantity of purified product may be obtained in a smaller amount of time and with a larger time period between shut downs for cleaning.
Known chromatography column are available in a wide range of designs having varying internal diameters. However, commercially available chromatography columns having the required stability and structural integrity for large scale purification processing, generally have had internal diameters of only eight inches or less. While chromatography columns having internal diameters up to twenty four inches have been made, they are not commercially available as off the shelf items because of complex designs which make production so expensive as to be unfeasible. Moreover, such chromatography columns are susceptible to leakage and are generally unsatisfactory in performance, especially at relatively high operating pressures.